April 9, 2003	Wednesday	Safar 6, 1424

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RAWALPINDI, April 8: The judge of anti-terrorist court No. 1, Manzoor Ahmed Mirza, on Tuesday recorded the statements of 11 prosecution witnesses in the Shah-i-Najaf Imambargah case in which 12 worshippers had been killed on February 26, 2002.

The court recorded the statements of police constables of Pirwadhai police station, Mohammad Riaz, Gul Faraz and Mohammad Arshad and the draftsman in the case, Qamaruddin. Besides, the court also recorded the statements of the eye-witnesses in the case including Syed Askar Mehdi, Khwaja Mohammad Hasan, Noor Elahi, Khwaja Sabir Hussain, Sultan Hussain, Mohammad Riaz and Abdul Razaq.

According to the prosecution, the 10 accused, Mujeebur Rehman, Fazal Hameed, Habibullah, Tahir Mehmood, Hafiz Naseer Ahmed, Iqrar Ahmed Abbasi, Mohammad Suhail Ahmed, Qari Ashraf Alvi, Mubarak Hussain and Mohammad Ajmal, had allegedly opened indiscriminate fire on the worshippers inside the Imambargah situated at Khayaban-i-Sir Syed.

The same court also recorded the statements of 12 prosecution witnesses including two doctors in the Taxila missionary hospital and Murree missionary school terrorism case on Monday.

Meanwhile, the judge of anti terrorist court No. 2, Safdar Hussian Malik, recorded the statements of three police officials in the Kashmir rally terrorism case against 15 activists of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz).

The court recorded the statements of the sub-inspectors, Shaukat Ali and Hafiz Rafique, and a constable of Bani police station. The witnesses maintained that the PML-N activists including Syed Zafar Ali Shah, Sadiqul Farooq, Farooq Khattak and other co- accused were raising anti-government slogans, disturbing peace at public spots during their rally.

They said the PML-N activists also snatched helmets and stick from policemen, when the latter tried to stop them.

However, the court would allow cross questioning in the case on April 14, while the statement of four other prosecution witnesses would also be recorded on the same day.